Juego del Palo
Encyclopedia
Juego del Palo (ˈxweɣo ðel ˈpalo, Game of the Stick) is a traditional martial art/folk sport of stick fighting
practiced in the Canary Islands
. It involves the combative use of a slender stick from 4 to 6 ft (1.2 to 1.8 m) long, wielded in both hands, and characterised by fluid motion in attacks and defences.
), the origins of Juego del Palo may be traced back to the Guanche
s, the aboriginal
inhabitants of the Canary Islands in pre-colonial times
during the early 15th century. A Spanish engineer named Leonardo Torriani wrote a history of the Canary Islands in 1590 and included a record of early Juego del Palo, accompanied by an illustration of two Guanche warriors performing a type of ritual combat with short staves in a small arena.Torriani wrote;
The art has been maintained through to the present day, undergoing a particular renaissance during the 1970s as part of a general effort to maintain native Canarian folk traditions. It bears resemblance to the Portuguese martial art Jogo do Pau
and the Venezuelan martial art Juego del Garrote.
Juego del Palo is now a popular sports activity in the Canaries and has been the subject of considerable academic interest as well, with a number of professional conferences having been held at local universities to investigate the history, culture, and technique of the art.
is worn in traditional Juego del Palo; safety is maintained through the skilled control of attacks, which are restrained rather than being made with full force upon the opponent’s body.
, Juego del Palo is divided into a number of specific styles or local traditions that have been developed on particular islands within the archipelago, and/or by particular families. The nine primary styles practiced in modern Juego del Palo include the Deniz, Morales, Verga, Acosta, Quintero, Vidal, Confiero, Juego del Garotte and Juego de la Lata. Each style is distinguished from the others by specific fighting techniques and strategies, and also by the rules under which it is played as a competitive game.
Stick fighting
Stick fighting is a generic term for martial arts which use simple long slender, blunt, hand-held, generally wooden 'sticks' for fighting such as a staff, cane, walking stick, baton or similar....
practiced in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. It involves the combative use of a slender stick from 4 to 6 ft (1.2 to 1.8 m) long, wielded in both hands, and characterised by fluid motion in attacks and defences.
History
Though similar stick fighting techniques are present in the Iberian peninsula (e.g. Portuguese Jogo do pauJogo do Pau
Jogo do Pau is a Portuguese martial art which developed in the northern regions of Portugal , focusing on the use of a staff of fixed measures and characteristics. The origins of this martial art are uncertain, but its purpose was primarily self-defence...
), the origins of Juego del Palo may be traced back to the Guanche
Guanche
Guanche may refer to:*Guanches, an aboriginal people of the Canary Islands*Guanche language, extinct language, used to be spoken by the Guanches until the 16th or 17th century...
s, the aboriginal
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
inhabitants of the Canary Islands in pre-colonial times
Canary Islands in Pre-colonial times
The Canary Islands have been known since antiquity. Until the Spanish colonization between 1402 and 1496, the Canaries were populated by an indigenous population called the Guanches, whose origin is still the subject of discussion among historians and linguists.The islands were visited by the...
during the early 15th century. A Spanish engineer named Leonardo Torriani wrote a history of the Canary Islands in 1590 and included a record of early Juego del Palo, accompanied by an illustration of two Guanche warriors performing a type of ritual combat with short staves in a small arena.Torriani wrote;
"When two Canarians went to duel, they met at a special place established for this purpose. It was a small enclosure with a level, raised stone platform at each end. To begin, they each stood upon a platform, armed with three of the smooth throwing stones they call tahuas, and also with the stick called magodo or amodeghe. Then they dodged the stones as they were thrown, skillfully twisting their bodies without moving their feet. Next, they stepped down and fenced with the staves, each one trying to gain advantage over the other, as is our custom also."
The art has been maintained through to the present day, undergoing a particular renaissance during the 1970s as part of a general effort to maintain native Canarian folk traditions. It bears resemblance to the Portuguese martial art Jogo do Pau
Jogo do Pau
Jogo do Pau is a Portuguese martial art which developed in the northern regions of Portugal , focusing on the use of a staff of fixed measures and characteristics. The origins of this martial art are uncertain, but its purpose was primarily self-defence...
and the Venezuelan martial art Juego del Garrote.
Juego del Palo is now a popular sports activity in the Canaries and has been the subject of considerable academic interest as well, with a number of professional conferences having been held at local universities to investigate the history, culture, and technique of the art.
Description
This may be described as a form of stick fencing between two players that is characterized by the spontaneous interplay of attacking techniques and defense techniques. No protective equipmentPersonal protective equipment
Personal protective equipment refers to protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garment or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury by blunt impacts, electrical hazards, heat, chemicals, and infection, for job-related occupational safety and health purposes, and in...
is worn in traditional Juego del Palo; safety is maintained through the skilled control of attacks, which are restrained rather than being made with full force upon the opponent’s body.
Styles
Comparable in many ways to the Filipino martial artsFilipino martial arts
Filipino Martial Arts refers to ancient and newer fighting methods devised in the Philippines, the most popular of which are known as Arnis/Eskrima/Kali. The intrinsic need for self-preservation was the genesis of these systems. Throughout the ages, invaders and evolving local conflict imposed new...
, Juego del Palo is divided into a number of specific styles or local traditions that have been developed on particular islands within the archipelago, and/or by particular families. The nine primary styles practiced in modern Juego del Palo include the Deniz, Morales, Verga, Acosta, Quintero, Vidal, Confiero, Juego del Garotte and Juego de la Lata. Each style is distinguished from the others by specific fighting techniques and strategies, and also by the rules under which it is played as a competitive game.
Further reading
- http://ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2000/jwmaart_wolf_0500.html - the best source of information on Juego del Palo in English